Pedal-action.



L. W. NORGROSS.

PEDAL ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1908.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3441mm for,

atto'anu o L. W. NORGEOSS.

FEDAL ACTION.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 18, 1908.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATILF PATENT OFFIU LEVI WATSON NORCROSS, OFFORT WORTH, TEXAS.

PEDAL-ACTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI 1V. Nononoss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas,have invented a new and use ful Pedal-Action, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to pedal actions for pianos and is moreparticularly an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent No.857,299 issued to me on June 18, 1907.

The object of the invention is to provide a pedal action adjustable foruse in pianos of different constructions and which is also adjustable soas to require either a light or heavy pressure of the foot according tothe requirements of the user and which will not lose its closeadjustment with the piano action after the parts have once been placedin a predetermined relation.

A further object is to provide a pedal action, the parts of which are soweighted as to practically counterbalance the pedals so that it becomesunnecessary to employ springs for the purpose of maintaining the pedalsin raised positions while not in use.

A further object is to provide a pedal action which can be used inconnection with either the right or left pedal of a piano withoutnecessitating the formation of rights and lefts as heretofore.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of theinvention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piano embodyingthe present improvements, a portion of the case being broken away toshow the pedal action in rear thereof, the cap of one of the pedalsbeing removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pedal action. Fig. 3 is asection on line AB, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line C-D, Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cap of one of the pedals.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates apedal lever fulcrumed at its inner end Within a suitable bracket 2 andprovided at its outer end with a downwardly extending enlargement 3designed to work within a slot 4t in the case. An arm 5 extendsforwardly from the lower Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 18, 1908.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Serial No. 433,559.

portion of this enlargement and is provided with a flat head 6 providedat its forward end with a shoulder 7. This head is designed to support acap preferably of the construction shown in Fig. By referring to thisfigure it will be noted that the cap comprises a shank 8 having alongitudinal groove 9 in its lower face for the reception of the upperedge portion of arm and a head 10 of any preferred contour is located atone end of this shank and is designed to receive the head 6, there beinga web 11 within the head 10 for the reception of a screw or otherfastening device 12 engaging the head 6. The forward portion of head 10is designed to rest on shoulder 7 while the shank 8 bears throughout itslength upon the arm 5. An extension 13 projects upwardly from the rearend of the shank S and is designed to bear against and conceal theenlargement 3 and also extends over the exposed portion of the slot 4.It is of course to be understood that this cap which has been shown inFig. 5 can be suitably ornamented and can be of any desired contour andmaterial.

Lever 1 is enlarged laterally between its ends as indicated at 1-1 andwithin this enlarged portion are formed a number of openings 15extending from the top to the bottom of the lever and any one of whichis designed to receive a pin 16 extending from one end of anintermediate lever 17. A series of transverse openings 18 is formedwithin lever 17 and any one of these openings is designed to receive apivot pin 19 supported within a bracket 20 which is sooured upon thefloor of the piano. Obviously by shifting the position of the bracket 20so as to enable the pin 19 to extend through different openings 18 thelength of movement of the lever 17 can be varied. The inner or liftingend of lever 17 is preferably broadened as indicated at 21 and has alongitudinal groove 22 extending thereinto from its end and within thisgroove is mounted a. longitudinally slotted slide 23 formed with aseries of openings 24. Screws 25 or other fastening means extend throughthe slot 26 within the slide and engage the lever 17 and these screwsnot only serve to guide the retaining slide within the groove but alsoconstitute means for securing the slide in adjusted position. Any one ofthe openings 241 is designed to .receive the lower end of a litter rod27 which can be of the usual or any preferred construction.

The levers l and 1'? which have been described can be used in connectionwith either the left or the right pedal of a piano and the parts areassembled in the same manner for each lever with the exception thatlever 17 is extended diagonally from the lever l of the right pedalbecause itactuates mechanism located at the back of the piano, whereasthe lev 1 1? actuated by the left pedal is extended at right anglestherefrom or parallel with the front of the piano because it operatesmechanism located in the front portion of the piano. These relativepositions of the levers ot' the two pedals have been illustrated in Fig.

With the construction herein described the stroke of each pedal can beexactly regulated and n'iaintained by shifting the pivot pin and bracket20 to any one of the openings 18 within the lever and by changing thebearing pin 16 to any one of the openings 15 in the pedal lever. its theparts are shown in the drawings the stroke is heaviest and the longestmovement of the litter rod is obtained. However, by removing the pivotpin 19 to one of the other openings 18 the stroke of the lifter rod isshortened and the foot pressure reduced. This foot pressure can befurther reduced by shifting the pin 16 to one of the other openings 15in the pedal lever 1. By providing the slide 23 the intermediate lever17 can be adjusted to a desired length. 13y enlarging the levers 17 attheir inner or lifting ends they are given su'llicient weight tocounterbalance the pedal levers and their caps so that the same aremaintained normally in raised positions and after being depressed theywill be returned to their normal positions by gravity. By providing thisform of adjustment and connection there is no danger of the parts losingtheir adjustment relative to the piano action. Obviously a pedal actionsuch as herein described can be adjusted for use either by a child. or agrown person.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a pedal lever having a. plurality of openingstherein; of an intermediate lever projecting under and depressible bythe pedal lever, a litter rod engaging the intermediate lever, and anupwardly extending projection upon the intermediate lever and seated inany one of the openings in the pedal lever.

The combination with a pedal lever; of a litter rod, an intermediatelever for engagement with the litter red, at shiftable fulcrum tor saidintermediate lever, and an adjustable connection between the levers.

3. The combination with a. pedal lever; of a litter rod, an intermediatelever engaging the litter rod and disposed to be actuated by the pedallever, and a shil'table fulcrum for the intermediate lever.

l. The combination with a pedal lever; of an intermediate lever actuatedthereby, and a fulcrum adjustably connected to the intermediate lever,said intermediate lever being weighted to maintain the pedal levernormally raised.

The combination with a pedal lover; of an intermediate lever actuatedthereby, an adjustable connection between the levers, an adjustablefulcrum :tor the intermediate lever, and adjustable means upon theintermediate lever for engaging a litter rod.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixedmy signature in the presence oi two witnesses.

LEVI WlVlSON NORCROSS.

lVitnesses l S. TAYLOR, Jon KEATING.

